Senior Vice President Academic Affairs

Overview

The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) seeks a Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs (SVPAA) to lead the organization’s academic affairs portfolio. The SVPAA serves as an expert on academic and student success issues at public and land-grant universities, facilitates the development of timely programming for the provosts of APLU institutions, and leads APLU’s Office of Academic Affairs (OAA) in supporting member institutions to advance their academic enterprises.

OAA has 11 full-time employees working across Data & Policy Analysis, Digital Transformation for Student Success, Student Affairs, and STEM Education. A major focus is to grow engagement with member institutions through the Council on Academic Affairs (CAA), the Council on Student Affairs (CSA), the Commission on Information, Measurement, and Analysis (CIMA), and the Steering Group on Artificial Intelligence (AI).

OAA also maintains externally funded projects in partnership with APLU members.

The SVPAA is a thought leader with respect to how national trends and federal policies affect public and land-grant universities, the evolving role of a national higher education association, and the development of the APLU-wide program strategy and agenda. The incumbent liaises with academic leaders, higher education associations, and national organizations, focusing on how federal policies and laws affect academic pursuits and purposes.

The SVPAA works with the Office of Government Affairs and the Office of Public Affairs to provide internal expertise and to act as a public voice for the association on academic issues, including speaking to government and academic leaders and the news media. The SVPAA also promotes initiatives and collaborations to advance innovative and effective ways for public and land-grant university leaders to adopt new practices to improve student success.

The ideal candidate will have experience as a senior university administrator, preferably a current or former provost, with deep knowledge of academic affairs and the duties of a provost at an APLU member institution. Candidates will have a proven ability to build coalitions, design and implement projects that promote positive student outcomes, secure funding, and cultivate strong relationships across the organization.

This full-time position is based in Washington, DC. The incumbent must be eligible to work in the United States, reside in DC, MD, or VA, and pass standard background checks. Hybrid work schedule eligibility is offered.

• Provide leadership on academic issues across APLU and in collaboration with other organizations focused on academic issues. Understand the needs of chief academic officers at APLU member institutions and help them understand national issues that may impact their work.
• Be a thought leader with expertise in academic-related higher education issues, including student retention, persistence and graduation rates; relations with industry and government; university funding models and governance; faculty affairs; curricular and instructional design and delivery, including through the use of AI; free speech and academic freedom; and federal policies and regulations.
• Advance student success, degree completion, and workforce preparedness initiatives across the association, further developing the APLU student success framework to improve retention and graduation at member institutions.
• Foster and grow a robust network of land-grant and public research university provosts through the Council on Academic Affairs (CAA), providing regular programming and engagement opportunities and building a professional development program for future and new provosts.
• Provide leadership for OAA on its projects and initiatives, including grant-funded work and subgroups, to best serve APLU’s membership. This includes, but is not limited to:
• Overseeing the Office of Digital Transformation for Student Success and ensuring IT advances student learning and outcomes.
• Overseeing the Council on Student Affairs (CSA) to provide programming and opportunities for student affairs leaders on issues they face.
• Overseeing the Department…